David Dalle
Thursday July 19th, 2018 with David Dalle
Small Island Big Song, a magnificent voyage through islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans; Become Ocean, John Luther Adams gorgeous apocalypse.

Today I present a magnificent new release, a journey through island nations in the Pacific and Indian oceans, "Small Island Big Song" is so much more than a mere compilation, it is an incredible project by Australians Tim Cole and BaoBao Chen interweaving the music and song of indigenous traditions from Madagascar all the way to Rapa Nui, thousands of kilometers away. The producers followed some strict rules, the musicians would choose the music, the instruments, and a meaningful outdoor location for them to record. All singing was in Austronesian languages. The recording technology was simple with no studio effects. This resulted in all acoustic recordings with natural sounds and feel. But this was only the first step, the second was taking the recordings and with the musician's guidance, mixing many of the songs together into multiple layers. The final result is absolutely unique, 16 rich all-acoustic multi-cultural songs which fit together seamlessly. A vast panorama of indigenous life from Taiwan, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Rapa Nui, Borneo, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Torres Straight, Singapore, Tahiti, Hawaii, Malaysia, Vanuatu... It is breathtaking. As hearing a BBC report on the threat climate change posed to many of these Island nations first inspired this project, I thought it would be fitting to also hear “Become Ocean” for orchestra by American composer John Luther Adams. Adams, who has worked as a conservation officer, spent most of his adult life living in rural Alaska where he has drawn inspiration from the vast Arctic landscapes and native people of the far north. Environmental concerns and particularly climate change are preoccupations for Adams and are a critical threat to the Arctic biosphere (and indeed, the world). This is the motivation behind this magnificent, overwhelming piece for large orchestra. This music completely engulfs the listener in a roiling ocean of sound which builds and subsides in great waves. You become submerged and enraptured by this most beautiful of cathartic experiences. A masterpiece. Music from the earth as it becomes ocean.